Giving You the Best That I Got (album)

Giving You the Best That I Got is the third album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker, released in 1988. It was Baker's first and only #1 Pop album in the US, her second #1 R&B Album, and was certified 3x platinum in 1989 by the RIAA. The title track was released as the first single from the album and became Baker's highest-charting single in the US, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album earned Baker three Grammy Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards.

Giving You the Best That I Got
Studio album by
Anita Baker
ReleasedOctober 18, 1988
Recorded1988
StudioEncore Studio; Yamaha International Recording; Sound Suite; Hitsville; TMF; Gnome Studios
GenreR&B
Length34:33
LabelElektra
ProducerMichael J. Powell
Anita Baker chronology
Rapture
(1986)		 Giving You the Best That I Got
(1988)		 Compositions
(1990)
Singles from Giving You the Best That I Got
  1. "Giving You the Best That I Got"
    Released: September 27, 1988
  2. "Just Because"
    Released: January 1989
  3. "Lead Me into Love"
    Released: 1989

Track listing
  1. "Priceless" (Garry Glenn) – 5:00
  2. "Lead Me into Love" (Steve Lane, Larry Prentiss) – 4:45
  3. "Giving You the Best That I Got" (Baker, Randy Holland, Skip Scarborough) – 4:18
  4. "Good Love" (Gary Taylor) – 5:39
  5. "Rules" (Graham Lamb, Phil Nicholl, Maggie Ryder) – 3:52
  6. "Good Enough" (Baker, James McBride) – 4:50
  7. "Just Because" (Alex Brown, Sammy McKinney, Michael O'Hara) – 5:13
  8. "You Belong to Me" (Terry Britten, Billy Livsey, Graham Lyle) – 3:50

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Village VoiceC+[2]

Alex Henderson of AllMusic rated the album four points out of five, calling it not "on the par with" Baker's previous albums but better than most of R&B albums released in 1988.[3]

Commercial performance

The album has sold over 5 million copies worldwide (including 3 million from the US). peaked at number two in Jet magazine's top 20 for three weeks between February 6 and 20, 1989,[4][5][6] and again on the week of March 13, 1989.[7]

It became Baker's first and only number one album on Billboard 200 and her second number-one R&B Album. In March 1989, the album was certified 3× Platinum in 1989 by the RIAA.[8]

Singles

"Just Because" hit number one in Jet magazine's top 20 singles on weeks of March 13, 20, and 27, 1989.[7][9][10] The song peaked at number one on the Hot Black Singles, making it Baker's second number one and also made the Top 40, peaking at number fourteen.[11] It has been described as a wedding reception favorite.[12]

"Lead Me into Love" peaked at number six in Jet magazine's top 20 singles on weeks of June 5 and 12, 1989.[13][14] It peaked at number four on the Hot Black Singles.[11]

Personnel
  • Anita Baker – lead vocals, backing vocals (4, 5), BGV arrangements (5)
  • Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (1, 2, 5, 7), synthesizer programming (1, 2, 7, 8), string arrangements (7)
  • Vernon D. Fails – keyboards (1-4, 6)
  • Dave Boruff – synthesizer programming (1, 8), saxophone (8)
  • George Duke – acoustic piano (2)
  • Bobby Lyle – acoustic piano (2)
  • Dean "Sir" Gant – acoustic piano (3, 6)
  • Gary Taylor – keyboards (4)
  • Joseph Vitarelli – Synclavier (4)
  • Peter Schwartz – keyboards (5)
  • Bruce Nazarian – Synclavier programming (5)
  • Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards (8)
  • Patrick Moten – keyboards (8)
  • Neal Walker – keyboards (8)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (1, 2, 5, 7)
  • Michael J. Powell – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 8), string arrangements (7)
  • Donnie Lyle – guitar (4)
  • Nathan East – bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
  • Omar Hakim – drums (1, 2, 3, 6)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 2, 3, 5, 6)
  • Gerald Albright – saxophone (6)
  • Courtlen Hale – saxophone (8)
  • Chuck Findley – trumpet (8)
  • Paul Riser – string arrangements (1, 2)
  • Alex Brown – backing vocals (1, 3, 7), BGV arrangements (7)
  • Angel Edwards – backing vocals (1, 3)
  • Valarie Pinkston Mayo – backing vocals (1, 3), BGV arrangements (1, 3)
  • Carol Perry – backing vocals (2), BGV arrangements (2)
  • Darlene Perry – backing vocals (2), BGV arrangements (2)
  • Lori Perry – backing vocals (2, 7), BGV arrangements (2)
  • Sharon Perry – backing vocals (2), BGV arrangements (2)
  • Marva King – backing vocals (7)
  • Roy Galloway – backing vocals (8)
  • Lynne Fiddmont – backing vocals (8)
  • Fred White – backing vocals (8)

Production
  • Executive Producer – Anita Baker
  • Producer – Michael J. Powell
  • Production Coordination – Sephra Herman, Tweed and Tominaga.
  • A&R – Raoul Roach
  • Engineer – Barney Perkins
  • Second Engineer – Milton Chan
  • Assistant Engineers – Les Cooper, Fred Law, Bruce Nazarian and Tim Purvis.
  • Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
  • Art Direction – Carol Bobolts
  • Photography – Adrian Buckmaster

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Henderson, Alex. Giving You the Best That I Got > review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  2. Christgau, Robert (November 29, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  3. All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul, p. 30
  4. Jet, February 6, 1989. p. 63
  5. Jet, February 13, 1989. p. 63.
  6. Jet, February 20, 1989, p. 63.
  7. Jet, March 13, 1989. p. 64
  8. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  9. Jet, March 20, 1989. p. 64.
  10. Jet, March 27, 1989. p. 64
  11. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 43.
  12. Anastasio, Janet; et al. (2000). The Everything Wedding Checklist (rev. and exp. 2nd ed.). Avon, Mass.: Adams Media. p. 148. ISBN 1580624561. Retrieved 2016-05-08. just because anita baker.
  13. Jet, June 5, 1989. p. 65
  14. Jet, June 12, 1989. p. 65
  15. "Australiancharts.com – Anita Baker – Giving You the Best That I Got". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  16. "Charts.nz – Anita Baker – Giving You the Best That I Got". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  17. "Swedishcharts.com – Anita Baker – Giving You the Best That I Got". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  18. "Anita Baker | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  19. "Anita Baker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  20. "Anita Baker Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  21. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  22. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  23. "British album certifications – Anita Baker – Giving You the Best That I Got". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  24. "American album certifications – Anita Baker – Giving You the Best That I Got". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
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